Darwin Thompson is a Explosive Back for Utah State. Darwin's 2018 season ranks in the 68th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 158 plays — a average rate for the RB.
Elite per-carry efficiency — breaks big runs and creates chunk plays at a top rate while in a limited role.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2015 | 228 | 0.450 | 5.8 | 102.6 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Car | Rush Yds | Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @Michigan State | L31-38 | 11.5 | 10 | 28 | 2.8 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0.32 |
| 2 | vsNew Mexico State | W60-13 | -20.2 | 6 | 96 | 16.0 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
Car 21 · Rush Yds 93 · Avg 4.4 · Rush TD 0
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 26 |
| 0 |
| 0.76 |
| 3 | vsTennessee Tech | W73-12 | — | 6 | 107 | 17.8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1.35 |
| 4 | vsAir Force | W42-32 | -1.8 | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.75 |
| 6 | @BYU | W45-20 | 6.2 | 17 | 109 | 6.4 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 7 | vsUNLV | W59-28 | -11.1 | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0.17 |
| 8 | @Wyoming | W24-16 | 1.9 | 17 | 109 | 6.4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 9 | vsNew Mexico | W61-19 | -9.5 | 7 | 26 | 3.7 | 1 | 2 | 71 | 0 | 0.77 |
| 10 | @Hawai'i | W56-17 | -10.4 | 13 | 141 | 10.8 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 0 | 0.80 |
| 11 | vsSan José State | W62-24 | -17.1 | 15 | 140 | 9.3 | 1 | 4 | 115 | 2 | 0.94 |
| 12 | @Colorado State | W29-24 | -10.3 | 13 | 48 | 3.7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | -0.25 |
| 13 | @Boise State | L24-33 | 12.2 | 11 | 61 | 5.5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.03 |
| 1 | vsNorth Texas | W52-13 | 2.1 | 21 | 93 | 4.4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0.23 |